


The Best Years of Your Life

by friendlyneighborhoodirondad



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: A lot of stress, BFFs, College, Engineering, Gen, Roommates, Tony has no chill, Underage Drinking, but what's new lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 14:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15687477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendlyneighborhoodirondad/pseuds/friendlyneighborhoodirondad
Summary: Parallels of Tony and Peter's time at MIT.





	1. Tony's Move-In Day

When Tony's car pulls up in front of his building, he's alone. Well, there's a driver, but he doesn't really count. His stuff had already been delivered to his room. All that was left to do was meet his roommate. Which, ugh... People are the worst. He had asked his father for a single, but he had refused with a sneer.

Tony stands in front of his dorm door, holding his key. He heaves a deep sigh and opens the door. The first thing he notices is how small the room is. It's smaller than Jarvis's quarters! And the side of the room piled with stuff just makes it worse. Oh wait, that's his stuff. Ugh. Now he's got to get someone to move his stuff.

Someone steps out of the bathroom (private, thank god) and startles at his presence. "Oh god, you scared me," the stranger says, putting a hand over his heart.

"Hm. I thought Army men weren't supposed to be scared of anything," Tony shoots back, his defenses snapping into place.

"I'm Air Force, actually." He gestures to his well maintained uniform, and sure enough, there's a pin with wings.

"I liked Top Gun as much as the next guy, but it didn't make me want to join the military."

"What's that make you?"

"Uh, heir to the Stark fortune and future CEO of the fastest growing tech company in the world."

The guy's eyes widen drastically as he sucks in a breath. "You... You're Tony Stark?"

Tony smirks and holds his arms out as if to say, "In the flesh."

"Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod." He braces himself against the wall for a second as if he were light headed. "Dude, you're like... super smart."

"And you're like... super not."

The guy either ignores the dig or misses it all together. He steps forward, holding out his hand. "I can't believe you're my roommate! This is like the craziest day of my life. I-I'm James Rhodes."

Tony gingerly takes his hand. "Nice to meet you, Jimmy."

"Yeah, you too."

Then the two just awkwardly stand there, neither knowing what comes next. Tony's never really been good at... friends. And he assumes James has never met a celebrity before. So... here they are. Standing in awkward silence.

Tony's relieved when James breaks first. "So, um... do you wanna get something to eat?"

"Uh, sure."

"Dining hall?"

"Sure."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Tony can feel the burn of everyone's stares. It was no secret that Tony Stark, boy genius, was attending MIT. His father had made a big deal about it in the press. Any other 14 year old MIT freshman would have gotten a story in the papers, sure, but their's would be in the bottom corner of the fourth page. Tony's was plastered all over the front page. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Tony's been in the press since he was born. This was nothing new.

But eating in a public place in plain sight? Not normal. James seems unfazed by it. In fact, he seems to be part of the problem. Tony pushes his half eaten sloppy Joe away. This seems to break James out of his trance. "So, um, Tony," James clears his throat, "what's your major?"

"Mechanical engineering. Duh."

James nods his understanding."I'm, uh... in aerospace engineering. So... pretty similar fields, huh?"

"Wow, we should get married and have three kids. How's that sound, honey bear?"

James' smile dims a bit at the scathing sarcasm. "...You're joking, right?"

Tony rolls his eyes. "Nooooooooo. I'm obviously already in love with you."

He hesitantly laughs. "Ha, yeah."

They don't really talk much the rest of the night. Their dorm is quiet, save for the sounds of running water or shuffling papers. Tony manages to clear enough stuff off his bed to lay down for the night. It's twin sized. He didn't even know they made beds this small.

"Goodnight, Tony."

Tony's eyes dart open in surprise when James' words float over to his side of the room. "Yeah, um, you too."

James is something of a curiosity to Tony. He let this snobby 14 year old kid sass him at every turn yet still thought to say goodnight. Weird. Tony dismisses it as false nicety. James probably just wants something from the naive rich kid. That's all it is.

Tony Stark doesn't do friends. Sidekicks? Yeah. Lackeys? Absolutely. But not friends. That would require letting someone past his walls. And he can't let anyone get that close. Stark men are made of iron, after all.


	2. Peter's Move-In Day

"It'll be on your right, May."

Peter watches his aunt give an oblivious Mr. Stark an amused look. "Yep, that's what the GPS is saying."

Mr. Stark flips around in the passenger seat and grins at Peter. "You nervous, kid?"

"Uh... a bit," he lies. He's a ball of anxiety on any given day. Today, he's a slightly bigger ball of anxiety on his first day at MIT.

"It's alright," Mr. Stark says. "I was freaking out on the inside on my move-in day. Poor Rhodey took the brunt of it. But you're a good guy. I'm sure you won't drive your roommate away on the first day."

"Oh great. I didn't even think of that. Now I'm even more nervous."

"Don't mind him," May says, putting on her indicator to pull into the parking space in front of Peter's dorm. "You'll be just fine. I think it's actually impossible to hate you."

"Thanks May," Peter bashfully mumbles.

Mr. Stark practically leaps out of the car when May shifts into park. He opens Peter's door and excitedly pulls him out. "Tony, you know you're not the one moving in, right?" May asks, opening the trunk.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just happy Pete made the right decision."

Peter rolls his eyes as Mr. Stark puts a proud arm around his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm already thinking about transferring to Purdue. The people here are kinda annoying."

Mr. Stark puts an offended hand on his chest and gasps dramatically. "You blasphemous child. May, let's take him back to New York. He's Happy's problem now."

"Oh, yes. Because that worked out so well the last time."

"When did you get so sassy, huh?"

"I've been spending too much time with you, dork."

"Don't call me dork, dweeb."

"Children!" May interjects before they can get any further. "Come help me unload. You can continue after all of Junior's stuff is upstairs."

Peter arrived before his roommate had, so the dorm was barren when he unlocks the door. May snaps a few pictures of Peter with his key as Tony places two boxes on his desk. "Now, go sit on your bunk, sweetie," May says, holding up her phone.

"Maaaaaaay."

"Come on, me, Tony, and Pepper are the only ones who are gonna see these. It'll take like two seconds."

"Ugh, fine." Peter sits on the uncovered mattress and gives a smile.

"I'm gonna grab the last couple boxes. Be right back," Mr. Stark says, amused.

"Wait, wait, I want a picture of the both of you." May gestures to the blank wall where Peter can already picture his Star Wars poster hanging.

And of course his roommate has to walk in when he and Mr. Stark are making funny faces and giving each other bunny ears. The three startle when they hear a thud from the doorway. They turn to see a boy staring at them, a box on its side at his feet. "Oh. My. God," he whispers, eyes wide as saucers. "Y-You're... Tony Stark?!"

Mr. Stark takes a breath then says, "In the flesh."

"Oh my god, my roommate knows TONY STARK!"

Peter steps forward to put his hands on his roommate's shoulders. "Hey, hey, let's keep it on the DL, yeah? We don't want to be mobbed."

"What's a DL?" Mr. Stark murmurs to May, only audible to Peter thanks to his super hearing.

He focuses back in on his roommate when the nods, slack jawed. "Okay, cool," Peter breathes. "So come on in. We'll close the door, and you can say hi."

Once the door clicks shut, Mr. Stark steps forward and offers his hand. "What's up, dude? Do you guys still say 'dude'?"

"Yeah," the guy says, looking pale. His hand trembles as he takes Mr. Stark's hand.

"Cool cool. This is your lovely roommate Peter." Mr. Stark grabs Peter's arm and drags him in front of the new guy. Peter waves. "What's your name, dude-aroni?"

"Uuuuuummmmm, I'm Clayton. Sir."

"Nice to meet you," Peter says, shaking his hand. "And no one's ever said 'dude-aroni'."

There's a short pause, then Mr. Stark slides around the pair and says, "I'll go get the rest of Pete's stuff."

Clayton's head follows Mr. Stark's movement. Once he leaves, Clayton turns to Peter and hisses, "Duuuuuuude."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

It's dark when May and Mr. Stark state rather sadly that they have to get going. They stand near the car, Peter wrapped in May's tight embrace. "I'm so proud of you, baby. I love you, I love you, I love you. I'll call you when we get to New York and every night after," she gushes, swaying back and forth slightly.

"Love you too, May," he grunts. His lungs suck in a breath when May releases him.

Mr. Stark steps forward and pulls Peter in. "See ya, kid. Hope I didn't ruin your relationship with your roomie already."

"Nah, we'll get along just fine. He's a gamer, and he's studying biomedical engineering like me. He kinda reminds me of Ned, come to think of it."

His mentor chuckles and ruffles Peter's hair. "If you say so, dude-aroni."

"Stop saying that! Clayton already asked me if that's some secret Avengers code word. You're so weird."

"That, my friend, is the definition of the kettle calling the pot black."

"Okay, time to go," May calls from the driver's seat, watching Peter lightly punch Mr. Stark in the arm.

Peter waves until the tail lights are out of sight. He sticks his key in the lock and pushes into his dorm. Clayton turns from hanging a poster to nod his greeting. "Whoa, sweet Star Trek poster," Peter says as Clayton flattens out the paper.

"Yeah, I'm a huge fan."

"Me too! Check this out." Peter runs to his stuff and pulls out his Empire Strikes Back poster. "We're basically twins."

"Nice, but Star Trek is objectively better."

Peter freezes, brain short circuiting. Only one thing comes to mind. "I don't even have time to tell you how wrong you are."

Clayton nods in appreciation. "Ben Wyatt, Parks and Rec. Nice. Next you're gonna tell me it's better than the Office," he jokes.

Again, Peter doesn't say anything. He merely blinks.

"Dude, you can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious. Parks and Rec is so pure. Everyone loves each other, even April whose whole shtick is hating everything. I don't really want to watch a bunch of people hate each other at a job they hate. That's so sad."

"But that's the point," Clayton counters, stepping off his stool. "The social awkwardness and the general depressive atmosphere make the jokes even better."

The two stare at each other for a full ten seconds, each contemplating the other. Peter speaks first. "We're gonna be best friends, aren't we?"

"Yes. Yes, we are."


	3. Tony's Tutor

James' arm shoots out to shut off his alarm. He groans and rolls over, hating whoever thought anyone should have to wake up at 4:00 am. Stupid military drills... James is convinced that 4:00 does not and should not exist on this plane of reality.

Tossing his feet over the edge of his bunk, James stretches his arms over his head. He feels an artificial light hit his face as he stands. Upon further inspection, James finds he's not alone. "Um... Tony?"

The teen doesn't move in acknowledgment. In fact, he seems to stiffen. "Jimmy."

"What, uh... What are you doing?"

"What's it look like? I'm working on a project."

"Were you working all night?"

"It sure seems to be the case."

"But the semester just started. How do you already have so much work?"

"What're you, my dad? Just let me do my thing."

"How many credit hours are you taking?" James asks, still not fully comprehending.

"28."

"28?! I'm taking 18, and I'm already stressing out. How are you functioning?"

"It's called being a genius."

"It can still run down the smartest guy. It's so much work for one person. If you need any help-"

"I don't need help!" Tony exclaims, finally spinning around to look at James. There's a fire burning behind his eyes.

James holds up his hands in surrender. "Okay. Okay. Forget I said anything."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

James breathes a sigh in relief as he sticks his keys into the dorm room door. Finally, done for the day. He freezes when he hears Tony's voice from the other side. The conversation seems one sided, so he must be on the phone.

"...essor assigned us a paper about the importance of coding in industry."

"Yeah I finished it last night."

"Uh, well, no I didn't get around to it."

"It's not a big-"

"Dad, it's not a big deal. I can finish it tonight. There's 24 hours a day."

"I know what I'm doing! I don't need-!"

"...Yes, sir."

"I-I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"Okay."

"Bye, Dad."

James' heart clenches as he hears Tony slam something on his desk. Tony's growl of frustration is muffled, so he must have covered his face. James gives him a few minutes to himself then lets himself in. Tony's head pops up out of the crook of his elbow. He avoids James' eyes. "Hey, dude," James says, tossing his keys on his desk. He hopes he's giving off a casual air. Like he didn't just listen to Tony getting dressed down by his dad.

Tony sniffs, carefully angling his face so James can't see his expression. "Hey," he says softly. He stands suddenly, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm gonna hit the bathroom."

"Okay," James shrugs.

Once the door shuts, James slumps into his desk chair. Maybe he had misjudged Tony. Maybe he's just a kid trying to make his father proud.

Time for Operation Help Tony From Afar So His Stubborn Pride Doesn't Get In The Way. He needs a better name...

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Tony opens the dorm door, thankful that James wouldn't be there. He just wants a 5 minute cat nap. Just 5 minutes, and he'll be back on his feet.

The door swings open, revealing James and an older guy sitting around James' desk. God damn it...

The two turn, and James smiles. "Hey, dude. How was class?"

"Same old, same old. What's uh... What's happening here?" Tony stutters.

"Oh, this is Cadet Madison. He's the tutor ROTC assigned to me. We're not gonna bother you, right?"

Tony shrugs and waves them off. "Nah, it's all good. I was gonna do some work, too. What, uh, class are you working on?"

"Calculus 2200."

Well, that's convenient. He just completely failed a quiz in that class because he slept through so many lectures. Maybe he could listen in and a learn a thing or two while he worked. Tony inwardly smiles at his sneaky plan as he sits at his desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he thinks he catches James smirking triumphantly. For what reason, he has no idea.


	4. Peter's Tutor

Peter drops his head into his folded arms. "Thor, if you're up there, please smite me out of existence," he mumbles as Clayton packs up his bag next to him.

His roommate laughs at his misery. "It's funny because you actually know Thor."

"I've actually never met Thor," Peter says, sliding his bag over his shoulder as everyone files out of the lecture hall. "He's the only original Avenger I haven't met."

"Oh, boo hoo," Clayton teases.

"Ugh, I'm swamped with homework," he groans, changing the subject. "I'm so tired... I can barely think, let alone... solve for x."

"Don't worry, dude. We'll just work on it together."

"Yeah, okay..."

"We can always go to office hours or ask the TA if we have questions."

"Yeah..."

"Peter, you worry too much," Clayton says, patting him on the back.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

The world is dimming before his eyes. His chest is constricting. The pencil drops from his hand onto his homework. Oh god, oh god, ohgodohgodohgodohgod... Peter can tell that Clayton's trying to get his attention, but the overwhelming anxiety flooding his brain does not allow him to comprehend the voice. There's a warm hand on his clenched fist, and he can vaguely tell that his Stark Watch is beeping.

After what seems like an eternity, a familiar voice breaks through his panicked haze. "...eter? Take deep brea... in and out. In and o... okay, buddy. You'll be okay, just take deep breaths."

Peter follows the nice voice's instructions.

"That's it, kid. You'll be okay, just keep breathing. You're okay."

"Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, bud. It's okay, kid. I told you I would always be there for you. Whenever you need me, I'm here."

"I-It's too much, Mr. Stark. There's too much to do. How do th-they expect us to do all this b-by ourselves?"

"It's okay, Pete. You're not alone, alright? I'm here to help."

"But... I-I shouldn't need help," Peter stammers as Clayton squeezes his shoulder. "Y-You graduated at 17, and y-you were just fine."

"I graduated because I had Rhodey to help me. You'll graduate because you have May, Ned-"

"Me," Clayton interjects with a hopeful smile.

"Clayton," Mr. Stark adds before continuing. "And me. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Nobody'll judge you for that. And if they do, I'll castrate them myself. Okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark," Peter huffs, rolling his watery eyes.

"Alright, talk to you later. I ducked out of a meeting when I saw your heart rate jump. Pepper's not gonna be happy with me."

"When is she ever?"

"Talk to you later, smartass."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

"Okay, I got 15.7 meters for number 4."

"I got 13.5 meters."

"Damn... Call him."

"I can't just call him every time we have a question, Clayton."

"Why not?"

"'Cause..."

"Uh huh. You can't even think of a good reason."

"Fine, I'll call him. But you're buying the pizza this weekend."

"Worth it."

Peter rolls his eyes as he dials Mr. Stark's number for the third time this week. He really hopes their frequent calls aren't annoying. They just have a lot of questions. So what if those questions don't always pertain to their course material? Maybe they just wanted to know what Tony Stark thought about the new Star Trek movies versus the old ones. And if he said the new ones because Chris Pine is a good friend of his, well you can't really fault them for posting that online. It's not like anyone would believe them. Right?


	5. Tony's Parent Weekend

Tony passes another poster for MIT Parent's Weekend. He rolls his eyes, squashing down his disappointment. He knew this was going to happen, but it still stings.

"What's got you so mopey this time?" James asks, pulling his chair over to Tony's desk later that night. Their relationship has grown slowly. Well, really, James has been moving their relationship along. Tony's never been good at friends, let alone one that's a few years older and much more mature. It's been... weird...

"I'm not mopey," Tony protests, shooting his roommate a look.

"You so are. That's like your default state," he laughs. "Come on, what's up?"

"Nothing, just drop it."

"Tony. Tooony. Come on, tell Uncle Jimmy what's wrong."

"Ugh, you're so weird."

"Duuude. Just tell me. I'm not gonna let it go."

Tony groans and throws his head back. "Fiiine. My mom can't come to Parents Weekend. My dad's taking her on some business trip to China. Happy now?"

James' face falls quickly, adopting a sad countenance. "Oh, I'm sorry. That sucks."

Ugh, here comes the pity. "It's not a big deal. It's just one lousy weekend."

"It's obviously not if you're down about it."

"James. Drop it. Please."

James raises his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, chill. Just... don't plan anything for that weekend."

Tony furrows his brows. "...Why?"

"Just trust me."

"What if I already had something planned?"

James gives him a dubious look.

"Whatever. I'll clear my totally packed schedule just for you, honey bear."

"Good. You won't regret it."

"I'm holding you to that."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Tony hears the knock at the door from his spot in front of the mirror. He swallows his nervousness as he hears James greeting his parents at the door. Tony takes a deep breath and steels his resolve. He's used to being in the lime light. What's two more people?

He exits the bathroom, shyly peeking around the corner. James' father notices him first. His heart jumps when they make eye contact, expecting the worst. Showtime. He leads with his hand extended. "Mr. Rhodes, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," he says warmly, taking Tony's hand. "It's so great to finally meet you. James has told us so much about you."

"All good things," Mrs. Rhodes interjects, stepping forward with a smile. Tony holds out his hand to shake again, but Mrs. Rhodes goes in for a hug. It takes a second for Tony to reciprocate. It's not unwanted, just unexpected.

"I was, uh, thinking we could go out to lunch," James says when his mother steps back.

"That's a great idea," she says, resting a soft hand on Tony's shoulder.

"This way you boys'll have ample time to fill us in on all your college shenanigans," Mr. Rhodes says, giving Tony a good natured smile.

Their lunch is great. James' parents make him feel included. Which is weird, because he sometimes feels like an outsider with his own family. He feels a pang of anger that his father's not like Mr. Rhodes. He laughs, tells stories, and best of all, listens. Tony knew to expect to be interrupted by his father, so he was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Rhodes nodded along and reacted appropriately to his plot points. It was... nice. He honestly didn't know what he was missing until now. This is awesome!

"Alright, dear. We'll be in touch," Mrs. Rhodes says, giving James a bear hug before she and her husband head out. "We're only a phone call away. Be good."

"But not too good," Mr. Rhodes adds, patting his son on the back. "You're in college. You're supposed to be bad sometimes."

"Daaad," James groans, pushing him away with a laugh.

"And don't think we forgot about you, Tony," Mrs. Rhodes says, cupping his cheek.

Tony blinks, willing his body to hold back the tears burning his eyes. His mom holds his face the same way.

"We know you have a lot of money, you being a Stark and all, but that doesn't mean you have everything. Never hesitate to call us if you need anything." Mrs. Rhodes gives him a look as if she can see right through his soul. He loves it.

"And we mean anything," Mr. Rhodes adds, putting his arm around his wife. "A roof, food, advice, condoms-"

"DAD!" James yells, moving to push his parents out of their dorm. "It's time to go now. See ya. Bye."

"Bye, baby. We'll call you when we get back."

"Bye Mom."

James closes the door with a huff before turning back to Tony with a sheepish expression. "Sorry about my parents. They're... a little much."

"Wh- Are you kidding?" Tony asks. "Your parents are amazing! I had a great time."

"Oh, well... good." James looks surprised but doesn't push it. He's getting better at knowing when Tony's been pushed far enough.

They stand in their customary awkward silence, waiting for one of them to speak. They both know it's going to be James. They should really just give up the pretenses at this point. "So... I guess it's my turn to meet your parents," James says with a smirk.

"Skipping the first date and heading straight for the ring I see. Bold strategy."

"Oh, please. Get off your high horse, Mr. I-Didn't-Tell-Her-I-Was-Only-14-So-She-Walked-Out-On-The-First-Date."

"That was one time!"


	6. Peter's Parent Weekend

Peter's phone buzzes insistently next to his pillow. He fumbles for the power button to make it stop. Maybe he could maybe fit in another 5 minutes of sleep before he's got to run to his 8:00 am. When I begins buzzing again, he sighs and peeks at the screen. He rushes to answer when he sees the selfie Mr. Stark accidentally took when Peter was showing him how to use SnapChat. "What's wrong? When do you need me back in New York by? I don't have a car, but I could take a plane," he frantically croaks out when lifts the phone to his ear.

"What?" Mr. Stark asks, letting Peter's words wash over him. "No, Pete. Stand down, New York's safe."

"Oh. Then why are you calling me so early?" he asks, annoyed.

"Well, one, aren't you supposed to be up already? You've got an 8:00 am."

"And two?"

"And two, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not going to be able to make it to Parents Weekend."

That gets Peter to sit up, alert. "What? But you said..."

"Yeah, I know, buddy. Some Stark Industries stuff came up."

"Oh, um... it's okay," Peter says, swallowing back his disappointment. "SI's important. And you know how Pepper gets."

Mr. Stark just sighs, not laughing at Peter's joke. "I really am sorry, kid. I feel awful doing this to you."

"Don't. It's okay, really."

"It's not okay. I'll make it up to you, Peter. I swear."

"You don't have to-"

"Peter."

He sighs at Mr. Stark's "the adult is talking" tone. "Alright. Talk to you later, bossy pants."

"Yeah, yeah, see ya around, brat."

Peter rolls his eyes for the millionth time in the last two minutes. As much as he loves talking to his mentor, the conversation is usually pretty taxing. He can't help but smile though. He appreciates that Mr. Stark called him to tell him the news instead of just texting him.

And when Parent's Weekend finally rolls around, Peter's excited to see his aunt. He asked Clayton if he wanted to join the two of them, but he declined. "I'm spending the weekend split between my parent's houses," Clayton moans. "I've gotta live out my sentence as a child of divorce. I'll see you Sunday."

There's a knock on the door about twenty minutes after Clayton leaves. Peter springs forward and throws the door open with a face splitting smile. "May!"

"Petey-Pie!" she squeals, surging forward to wrap Peter up in one of her signature hugs. "Oh, I missed you so much, baby."

"I missed you too, May."

"Tony's sorry he couldn't be here, so he told me to give you an extra tight hug for him."

Peter smiles as May lifts him up slightly so he's standing on his toes.

"Gosh, you've grown," she murmurs, stepping back and resting a hand on his cheek.

"That's what teenage boys do."

"Look at you. My baby's all grown up."

"I still don't even know if, when, and how to do my taxes. I'm not even close to being an adult."

May shakes her head and lightly slaps his shoulder.

"So, what do you want to do?" Peter asks. "We can get lunch or walk around campus..."

"I want the full tour. I want to see everything, where you go to class, where you eat, where you study."

"Well then, get ready for the Comprehensive Parker Experience, including such sights as the tree where I read my chemistry textbook and the trash can were I once saw a raccoon digging for trash."

"Well, I can't wait. Lead the way, darling."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

May gives him a huge hug before she leaves. "I love you so much, Petey. Have a good next couple of weeks."

"I will."

"I'll see you at Thanksgiving."

"Okay. Love you, May."

"Love you too, baby."

Peter watches as she pulls out of the parking lot. He returns her wave, then turns away when she drives off. He makes his way up the staircase, wondering what movie he was going to watch alone tonight. Maybe he'll ask Ned if he's free to watch a movie on rabb.it or something. His keys jingle as he unlocks his door, humming a Fall Out Boy song. Goddamn it Clayton... Ever since he told Clayton he's into Twenty One Pilots, Clayton's been blasting Fall Out Boy whenever he can. "I've gotta correct your taste in popular edgy white guys," he had yelled over the wailing guitar riffs.

He's still humming as he locks the door behind him. His spidey-sense buzzes, telling him there was someone in the room. No one dangerous, but... Peter spins around to lock eyes with

"Mr. Stark?!" he exclaims, surprise flooding his face.

"Hey, kiddo." Mr. Stark's wearing a fancy suit, an Iron Man suit standing at attention in the corner. He must have rocketed over from where ever just to see Peter.

"You didn't have to come over," Peter says, ducking his head bashfully. "I'm sure you had somewhere more important to be."

"Pete, just... come 'ere." Mr. Stark holds out his arms. Peter doesn't hesitate to jump into them.

The two hug in silence for a few seconds before Peter murmurs into his shoulder, "I thought you had SI stuff today."

"I did. And now I'm here."

"That's... not much of an explanation."

"There's not much else to tell."

"Isn't Pepper gonna be mad?"

"Pepper's the one that let me sneak out. She said this was more important."

"More important than what? One of those boring stock meetings that you hate?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Mr. Stark..."

"Alright, it was a meeting with the new Secretary of State, but she's kind of a bitch so-"

Peter steps back, eyes wide. "What?! But... WHAT?!"

"Yeah, I know, she seems cool on TV, but she called me Iron Dick over the phone. I mean, seriously? What's her deal? We haven't even met."

The teenager just shakes his head in disbelief. "I really shouldn't even be surprised."

Mr. Stark just shrugs and waves him off. "Let's forget about all that. The past's in the past." The two gravitate towards the rickety couch shoved in the corner of the dorm. "How are your classes? Hope they're not overloading you. 16 credit hours is a lot. How's the social life? You find a special someone yet?"

Peter punches his mentor's shoulder halfheartedly as they collapse on the couch. "I can't answer if you don't stop talking."

"What can I say, Pete? I want to know everything."


	7. Tony's First Party

Tony slips into his seat in his mechanical engineering class. He bends down to pull his notebook out of his bag, mentally steeling herself for another hour of an old man droning on about something he already knows. When he straightens up, he startles at the tall, broad figures standing around his desk. "Uh, can I help you?" he asks, willing his heart to stop beating so quickly.

"So you're the great Tony Stark," the guy in the middle says, crossing his arms and smirking down at the teenager.

"It sure seems like it."

"Who do you hang out with? Alpha phi? Theta pi kappa? A billionaire like you's gotta have a lotta fun."

"Uh... I'm not really... I'm focusing on my studies, so-"

"Ah, a lone wolf," the guy interrupts. "I like it. Why don't you take Friday night off and come to our mixer?"

"Um, I don't know..."

"Aren't you a genius or something? You can do with skipping one night."

"Uh... okay. Can I bring a plus one?"

The guy leans down to punch his shoulder. "Nice, dude. Bring whoever you want. We'll see you there, rich boy."

The group walks away, leaving Tony to stew the rest of the class. What the hell is going to do? Parties are a college staple, but alcohol damages brain cells. But then again, he could use a break. But breaks are for the weak willed. That's what his father always said. If he knew his son was considering going to a party...

Tony straightens in his seat. This was perfect. Why didn't he think of this before? A devious smile spreads across his face. Tony's going to that party.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

"This is a bad idea," James says for the fiftieth time as they approach the frat house.

"Oh, come on, sour puss. This'll be fun! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"That's rich coming from the fourteen year old boy wonder. If you get wasted, which you will because you don't know your limits yet, I'm gonna be the one that has to take care of you."

"Blah, blah, blah. I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

By the time, James is ready with a comeback, Tony's already reached the door. He tugs it open, and the sound waves hit them full force. The music is loud enough to make the walls vibrate to the bass. There are so many people trying to shout over the music, Tony wonders why they have it on so loud in the first place.

At first, Tony and James stick to themselves, poking around curiously. Eventually their hosts spot them and hand them drinks. James refuses on the grounds of the military's random drug tests. Tony tries to refuse, but without a proper excuse the boys practically force it onto him.

It all goes downhill from there.

Tony decides that the first drink isn't so bad. Once he gets over the gasoline taste, he refills his cup. Again. And again. He realizes it becomes easier to slide the drink down his throat the more he drinks. Plus, it's... fun, right? All the other kids seem to be having fun, so he should be having fun too, right? Because who doesn't love the feeling of slowly losing control of your body?

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

James knows it's time to go when Tony stumbles into the beer pong table. He takes the younger boy's arm and drags him towards the front door. "Wai', where we goin'?" Tony slurs, weakly fighting James' arms.

"We're going home."

"I can' go home. Dad'll be mad. An' Dad yells when he's mad. I... I can' go home."

"No, not home home. The dorm."

"Bu' I'm not tired."

"Oh, I beg to differ. You'll be out within the hour. I just hope I can get you in bed before you conk out on me."

"I won' conk. Prrromise."

"Alright, Tony the Tiger."

Tony was actually right. He waited until James had the dorm room door open to groan, "I'm gon' be sick."

"Oh, for Pete's- Come on."

James drags Tony's dead weight to their bathroom. He positions Tony's head above the toilet bowl seconds before the puking starts. And boy does he puke. And like the perfect roommate he is, James wets a towel and wipes Tony's face off when he lifts his head out the bowl to breathe. "Th-anks... sour puss," Tony mumbles at one point.

"It's not problem, dude. Just being a good friend."

"You're a... good fren'... puss."

"Wow, that's... something."

"Puss... Platypus..."

"Platypus?"

"Yeah, 'cuz you're like... adaptable... and lots of... special abil-il-il-ities."

"You'e quite the genius, aren't you?"

"No, I'm drunk."

James snorts, prompting Tony to giggle, prompting James to laugh, prompting Tony to giggle louder.

"God, we're lame," James laughs, shaking his head.


	8. Peter's First Party

Peter and Clayton jerk their faces out of their laptop screens when someone bangs on their door. They exchange glances then get up to answer their insistent visitors. "Hello?" Peter asks, seeing as their visitor is a stranger.

"Hey, my frat is having a party this Friday, and I'm inviting the whole floor."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Yeah, here's the address. It's super casual, so you can just come and go whenever. I'm sure you guys already had plans, so don't feel like you have to come."

"Um... yeah."

"So, I'll see you guys there?"

"Um..." The two exchange looks again. Clayton shrugs, so Peter turns and says, "Probably."

"Cool! I'll see you around."

"Yeah."

Peter lets the door shut as the guy leaves. Clayton blows out a breath and says, "Dude, we just got invited to a college party. This is so cool!"

"I mean, I guess," Peter says, looking at the slip of paper in his hand.

"Aren't you excited?"

"Um... honestly, not really."

"Why not?! Free booze, girls, music. What more could you want?"

"I just... don't do well with crowds and loud noises. I get overstimulated."

"Oh, sorry, dude. That sucks."

"Yeah."

"Well, then... I won't go."

"Dude, you don't have to do that."

"Well, I don't really have any other friends, and I don't want to go alone."

"Oh, well... I guess I could go-"

"No, no, no, you don't have to do that."

"I mean... I guess it wouldn't be too bad. I could always just step out if it gets to be too much."

"Peter, it's totally fine, I just won't go."

"Nah, we should go. This is college, right? Parties are a college staple."

"Dude," Clayton deadpans. "We go to MIT. Everyone here's a nerd. Nobody's ever been to a party before now."

They laugh and take their seats again. "I guess we'll see when we get there," Peter says, focusing back in on his work.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

"Dude, I'm so excited."

"I can tell," Peter laughs, watching his roommate practically skip down the sidewalk.

"I can hear it from here. It's just like in the movies!"

"Which one? Harold and Kumar or the vastly superior Neighbors?"

"Harold and Kumar is a masterpiece, you uncultured swine."

Peter shakes his head as the pair round the block corner to see the party in full swing. His spidey-sense tingles but doesn't actively hurt, so he presses on with Clayton by his side. He should be fine as long as he's with his friend. Right?

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Wrong.

Clayton took two shots of vodka and left him to his own devices. It turns out that it doesn't matter if you actually know the person, you're automatically best friends when you're both drunk. Peter doesn't blame Clayton. He would have probably done the same if he could get drunk in the first place.

So Peter just hangs out on the edge of the party, nursing a beer. It's disgusting, but he doesn't want to be rude and waste it so...

Peter flinches when the song changes to one with a much stronger bass line. The crowd roars its approval, then proceeds to scream the lyrics. The omnipresent noise has been grating on him all night, and it's suddenly reached a fever pitch. The world grows hazy, and the edges of his vision begin to white out.

Oh no.

He stumbles out of the house, free hand fumbling for his phone. The next thing he knows he's sitting in the front lawn, a crushed beer can in his fist and his phone held up to his ear.

"...lo? Pe... ou okay? Honey, please answer me. What's wrong?"

"May?" Peter chokes out.

"Yeah, baby. What's wrong?"

"Did... Did you call me?"

"No, baby, you did. Are you okay? Where are you? I hear music."

"Oh, um..."

"Are you at a party?"

"Um... I can explain," Peter says shakily.

"Peter, it's okay. I'm not mad. I'd be a pretty big hypocrite if I was."

Peter tries for a laugh, but it comes out kind of strangled.

"Something's wrong. What's wrong?"

"I... I'm not... I'm a little overwhelmed."

"Oh, sweetie... Just take deep breaths. Listen to my voice, I'm here, everything's gonna be okay."

"Everything's gonna be okay," he repeats breathlessly.

"Everything's gonna be okay," May says soothingly. "Deep breaths, honey. Deep breaths."

Later that night when Peter is laying in bed, heart blessedly beating normally, he realizes May can get him through everything. There's just one more thing...

"Petey, we've been through this," May answers on the second ring. "Just drink your water and go to bed. You're okay."

"No, I get that part. But, um, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, honey. Anything."

"Could you... not say anything to Mr. Stark? I don't want to be mad at me or something."

May sighs and says, "I won't say anything, but I don't think he could ever be mad at you. You're his little buddy. Tony's always so patient and kind and... happy with you. It reminds me of you and Ben, actually."

Peter's jaw clenches at the mention of his uncle. Blinking back sudden tears, Peter quietly says, "Really?"

"Really. He loves you, honey. So don't worry about it."

"Thanks, May," he whispers. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby. I'll talk to you soon."

And I shit you not, as soon as May hangs up, Peter receives a text from the man himself.

Tony MFing Stark: Hey kid. Just checking in. Hows your Friday night?  
Tony MFing Stark: Any wild parties?

Me: hahaha no  
Me: i was just talking about u actually

Tony MFing Stark: Wow speak of the devil  
Tony MFing Stark: But seriously, what are you up to?

Me: nothing

Tony MFing Stark: That's not suspicious at all

Me: its not  
Me: im just chillin  
Me: like a villain  
Me: wbu

Tony MFing Stark: What does that mean?

Me: wbu=what about you?

Tony MFing Stark: Oh, I'm taking the night off too

Me: old man needs his rest lol

Tony MFing Stark: Alright, brat, bed time  
Tony MFing Stark: Why do I even try?

Me: good night Mr Stark  
Me: before you go to bed tho, i just wanted to say that i appreciate everything u do for me  
Me: ur the best mentor a spider-kid could ask 4  
Me: soooooooooo  
Me: thanks

Tony MFing Stark: Are you drunk?

Me: [eye rolling emoji]

Tony MFing Stark: I'm kidding  
Tony MFing Stark: Obnoxious texting lingo aside, I appreciate you too, buddy  
Tony MFing Stark: Life would be a lot more boring without you  
Tony MFing Stark: Though I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing  
Tony MFing Stark: [winking emoji]

*Screenshot has been saved to Photos*

Me: aw shucks  
Me: the tin man does have a heart

Tony MFing Stark: Hey kid, guess what?

Me: what?

*Tony MFing Stark has blocked this number*


	9. Tony's Spring Break

"So, where you headed for spring break?" James asks, wiping his mouth off with a napkin. The two were taking a much needed lunch break after studying their butts off for midterms.

"Uh, I dunno," Tony says, dipping a fry in his ketchup. "Somewhere warm, probably. I have family friends in Fort Lauderdale, so maybe there."

"Cool. I'll probably just head home. Not all of us are made of money," he jabs good naturedly.

Tony rolls his eyes with a smirk. "Shut up."

It's only a week later when the two part ways. Mr. Rhodes comes to pick James up. Tony sheepishly accepts his offer for a drive to the airport. It wouldn't have killed him to take a taxi, but Mr. Rhodes had asked so nicely...

When he arrives in Fort Lauderdale, he drops his bag in the guest room and beelines to the beach in the backyard. God, he missed this. The worst part about Boston is the lack of beaches and sun. He's such a Cali boy.

This is about to be the most relaxing week of Tony's life. No studying, no assignments, no one breathing down his neck. Tony stretches out on a beach chair under an umbrella, lacing his hands behind his head. Nothing could possibly wreck his perfect week.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

The phone rings into the silence of Tony's dark room. Tony groans and rolls over. Who the hell would be calling at this ungodly hour?

"What?" he croaks into the receiver.

"Um, Tony?"

"Goodnight, Jimmy."

"No, wait!" he says too desperately for this to be a butt dial.

Tony pauses and lifts the receiver to his ear. "James, what's going on?"

"I, uh... My dad's in the hospital..."

Oh shit.

"I just... I don't know what to do."

Oh shit.

"I-I'm sorry, Tony. I shouldn't have called you. You don't need me raining on your vacation."

"Uh, n-no, don't worry about it," Tony stutters, sitting up in bed.

"I didn't know who to call. My mom's freaking out, and-and I needed someone to talk to, and... Gosh, Tony, I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it, really," Tony says. "Do you... need something?"

"No, no, I'd never ask you for anything. I think I just needed an ear, you know? I'm better now, thanks."

"You still sound pretty shaky... Do you want me to head over your way?"

"Nonononononono. I'm fine, Tony. We're fine."

"You sure?"

"100%. Thanks, though."

"Okay, well... just call if you need something. I'm, uh... I'm all ears."

"Thanks, Tony. You're the best."

"You know it. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll call you."

"Okay, cool... cool..."

"Bye, Tony."

"Bye, James."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Tony couldn't sleep that night. Or the next night. Or the night after that. So he spent the next night at the airport. And the next morning, he found himself sitting next to James on a bench in the hospital waiting room.

After a sip of coffee courtesy of Tony, James whispers, "Thanks, Tony. This means a lot."

"Oh, it's no problem really. I like your dad and I tolerate you, so it's no problem. And it was boring all alone in Florida."

"Aw, you missed me?" James laughs, nudging Tony's shoulder.

"You wish," Tony scoffs, nudging James back.

"Admit it, you missed me."

"I won't because I didn't."

"You will because you did."

"Ugh, you're the worst."

"Takes one to know one."


	10. Peter's Spring Break

"PETER! OVER HERE!"

Peter spins around, his duffel bag slapping his side. He spots Ned in his black and gold sweatshirt waving frantically down the street from where his taxi dropped him off. Peter grins and quickly makes his way to his friend.

"Welcome to Purdue! AKA the college you should've gone to," Ned says as the two do their super awesome secret handshake.

"You know Mr. Stark practically shoved MIT down my throat," Peter laughs, adjusting his bag strap.

"It hasn't even been five seconds, and you've already brought up Iron Man."

"I'm a superhero, what'd you expect?"

"God, I missed you," Ned says with a smirk. "Come on, I'll show you my dorm. You can put your stuff there."

"Sweet."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

"...And then he told me I should learn MATLab, and then I said, "hey, isn't that the coding language that beginners use?", and he said "yeah", and I said "dude, I already know C++, Java, Python, and I'm learning Swift, so I don't-"

"Ned, I love you, but please stop talking," Peter groans. "You know I don't understand you when you get all computer science engineer-y."

"Oh please, I'm better than you when you start getting all biomedical engineer-y with your webs, thwippy."

Peter rolls his eyes and says, "God, I've missed you. If we don't end up working in the same city, I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Same, dude. We'll have to coordinate when we apply for internships."

"Totally."

"Sooooo... first weekend of spring break," Ned says, spinning in his desk chair like he used to in Queens. "What do you wanna do the night before the best road trip ever?"

"Uhhhh, I don't know. Movie marathon?" Peter shrugs.

"Nah, we always do that. Let's mix it up a bit."

"Okay... meaning what?"

"Let's go do college right. I've got some friends that are having a get together tonight if you want."

"Um... I don't really do parties-"

"Trust me, dude. You'll like this one."

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

"Ohhhhhhh, I get it now," Peter says, smacking a hand over his forehead. "A 'party'. That's clever, dude."

"It's the Purdue atmosphere," Ned laughs before finishing the rest of his Natty Light.

"Neddo, you're up," one of the others says.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses." Ned picks up his personalized D20 and slurs slightly when he says, "Watch this, Peter. You're gonna love this. I cast Web, covering these three goblins in some sticky stuff-"

"-That's what she said!" Peter bursts out, not able to contain his giggles. He probably shouldn't have had that last vodka shot... Eh, whatever, it's college.

"Then Shawn here will ignite the extremely flammable material - is it flammable or inflammable? - to burn them to a crisp," Ned finished, rather confusingly.

"Oh, shit! Neddo's Spider-Man!" Abigail says from down the table, exchanging finger guns with Ned.

In his drunken haze, Peter finds himself strangely offended. "But... I'm Spider-Man," he mumbles. Thankfully, only Ned hears him.

"It's okay, Pete. They don't know, they're joking."

"Really?"

"Yeah, dude. Don't worry 'bout it."

"I love you, dude," Peter says draping an arm over Ned's shoulders. "You're the bestest friend a spider-guy could ask for."

"Aw, I love you, too. I miss you a lot, you know."

"Me too."

"Meghan Trainor?"

"Who?"

"...What?"

"I don't know," Peter laughs.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a boyfriend, Neddo?" Ruby says, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"Why does everyone think we're dating?" Peter asks.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Ned adds, holding up his cup. "You wanna taste, Peter?"

"Yeah, sure."

Ned tips his cup to Peter's lips, holding a hand under his chin so none of the nasty, cheap-ass beer dribbles onto his shirt.

"Oh yeah, I wonder why?" Ruby says sarcastically.


	11. Tony's Support System

Tony's heart is beating too fast. "Wh... What do mean?"

"I _mean_ ," his robotics professor starts with a sneer, "you didn't qualify. It's fairly simple. I'm sure that big brain of yours can figure that out."

"But... I thought-"

"You can think all you want, Stark. You can't get everywhere by throwing your name around."

Tony opens and closes his mouth in disbelief. "Is... Is there anything I can do to change your mind, professor?"

"You had your chance already. Your robot was not up to par. You didn't make the team. Now, I have papers to grade. So if you could..." The man makes a shooing motion with his hand, looking far too smug for him to be even remotely apologetic.

Tony stumbles back to his and Rhodey's dorm. Rhodey... He's been calling James "Rhodey" since the beginning of the semester.

_"Why do all your friends call you Rhodes?"_

_"It's military culture."_

_"Why don't you call me Stark, then?"_

_"'Cause you're a civilian. And a nerd. And a wimp."_

_"Wooooow. That hurts. In retaliation, I'm gonna start calling you... Rhodey."_

_"Please don't."_

_"Aw, what? It's a combination of our names."_

_"So I should call you Tones?"_

_"Yeah, that would be awesome! It'll be, like, our thing!"_

_"Our thing?"_

_"Yeah, don't best friends have... things?"_

_"Uh... yeah. Best friends."_

Rhodey looks up when Tony closes the dorm door. "Hey, Tones, how'd it-?" Rhodey quickly cuts himself off when he sees Tony's face. "Oh no. I'm sorry, dude. That really sucks."

"He said my robot wasn't good enough, but I thought it was one of the best at try outs. I don't get it."

"It's bullshit, Tones. Don't let Professor Asshole get to you."

Tony tries to smile, but it falls flat. Almost too quiet to hear, Tony mumbles, "What am I supposed to tell my dad?"

"I'm sure he'll be understanding," Rhodey assures him.

"You don't know my dad."

"Well... I'm proud of you." Rhodey reaches out and puts a supportive hand on Tony's shoulder. "Who cares what he thinks? I'll be your new dad."

Tony gives Rhodey a look. "You want to be legally responsibly for me and my shenanigans?"

"Eh, you're not that bad."

"You want to support my needs?"

"Sure. Ew, but sure."

"I have expensive habits."

"Tones..."

"I'm just testing you. This is what it's like to parent me."

Later that night, after Rhodey's gone to bed, Tony stares at the phone. He knows he needs to call his dad, but... he's scared. He hates his dad's disappointment. The fear of it is a constant pressure in his life. _Stark men are made of iron_ , Tony tells himself. He takes a deep breath then lifts the receiver and dials.

"Stark."

Tony flinches. "Hey, Dad."

He hears the receiver shift on the other end. "Tony. Why are you calling?"

No _how are you_. No _are you okay_. No _did you get a tattoo_. Ugh.

"I was just calling to... talk to you."

A sigh. "Get to the point, Tony."

"I... tried out for the robotics team."

"Ah, of course. My boy's carrying on my legacy, eh?"

"Uh, about that..."

"About what?"

"I... I didn't make it."

Silence. Tony can't technically see his father, but he knows the man is steaming.

"...Dad?" Tony prods after a few awkward seconds.

"What happened?" his dad asks quietly. The quiet before the storm.

"My robot wasn't good enough, apparently."

"Do you have any idea how bad this looks, Tony?"

"I know, Dad," he answers glumly.

"You're supposed to take the company one day! You're supposed to be smarter than this!"

"I-It's just the robotic's team. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal? It starts with failing to make the robotics team. What's next? Failing classes? Not graduating? How am I supposed to entrust the company to you?"

Tony swallows against the lump in his throat. "Dad, I... I missed the mark on this one. But I won't let it happen again."

"It'd better not. Need I remind you of what happens when I'm upset with you?"

"No, sir."

"Good. I hate repeating myself."

_Click._

Tony rolls his teary eyes. "Goodnight to you too, Dad." He slams the receiver onto the cradle then drops his head into his hands. "I'm such a failure," he whispers to himself.

"No, you're not."

Tony spins around to see Rhodey sitting up in his twin bed. "You heard all of that?" Tony says, defeated.

"I heard enough to solidify myself as your new father."

"Rhodey-"

"Nope, it's Mr. Rhodey now."

Tony actually cracks a smile. "Weirdo."

Rhodey chuckles, then gets serious. "But really. Screw your dad. He sucks."

After a pause where Tony can't make eye contact, he says, "Thanks, man."

"I got you, Tones."


	12. Peter's Support Group

Tony sits in front of his computer blankly staring at his email inbox. He watches as the number of unread emails continually ticks up. He was getting vaguely excited as it neared 100 when Friday breaks his trance. "Mr. Parker is calling, boss."

He perks up in his chair, smiling. "Put him through, girly."

"...Hello?"

"Hey, Underoos. What's going on?"

"Uh, well..."

Tony frowns at Peter's tone. His voice is wobbling like it does when he's on the verge of an anxiety attack. "What's wrong, Pete?"

"I'm... not good."

"What happened? Are you hurt? Or sick?"

"No, I'm fine. Healthy. I-I just... I'm a failure."

"Peter..."

"No, really, I am. I should just quit school, I can't do this."

"Okay, okay, before we make any rash decisions, what set all this off?"

"I-I failed my Statics' midterm. Like, really bad. I'm not gonna be able to save my grade. And Statics is a keystone of engineering, and if I can't do that, then I shouldn't be an engineer. I shouldn't even be at MIT. I-I just wanna come home and-and work at McDonalds and-"

"Petey, Petey, take a breath," Tony cuts in through Peter's frantic rambling. "You're okay, take a breath. I'll wait for you to calm down before I tell you how wrong you are."

Then Peter heaves a sob. "I'm a failure, Mr. Stark. I failed you and May, a-and I'm really sorry. I'm just not good enough."

"Peter Parker, you stop that right this second. I don't want to hear another self-deprecating word come out of your mouth," Tony says sternly. He waits until Peter reins it in a little before continuing. "You are an incredible person. You are going to stay at MIT because you are extremely bright and talented. And you are _not_ a failure."

"Yes, I am. I couldn't even pass a stupid exam. I even studied for hour, and I couldn't-"

"It just wasn't your day, bud. Failing an exam is not the end of the world. Especially a Statics exam. Those are ridiculously hard."

Peter laughs still sounding a little choked up.

"And you didn't fail me or May. Okay? We're so so so so so proud of you. Failing one lousy exam won't change that."

"...Thanks, Mr. Stark. You always know how to make me feel better."

"I'm always in your corner, kid."

"I know. You're the best."

"No arguments there. You okay now, buddy?"

"Yeah. Much better."

"Good. I'll let you go. Get yourself a milkshake or a fancy Starbucks drink tonight. You deserve it."

"Eh, I don't know... Can I put it on the credit card?"

Tony rolls his eyes fondly. Peter's snark has returned. He'll be just fine. "Of course you can, you little menace. Exploiting your mentor's wealth is part of the self care regime."


End file.
